Salvia miltiorrhiza in Anti-diabetic Angiopathy

Background:: Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional Chinese medicine, also named as Danshen in China, is widely used for treatment of cardiovascular disease. It demonstrates multiple biological functions, such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation and anti-thrombosis. Diabetic angiopathy is one of the diabetic complications with macro- and microangiopathy. The macroangiopathy mainly occurs to arteries, while the microangiopathy mainly includes diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. Many factors associated with diabetes, such as metabolic abnormalities and oxidative stress, can induce vascular lesions. These factors promote the accumulation of lipids as well as inflammatory cytokines, increase production of extracellular cell matrix, and impair endothelium functions, thereby leading to vascular dysfunction. Conclusion:: This review attempts to summarize the progress of the studies of Salvia miltiorrhiza on diabetic angiopathy, including improving endothelial function, anti-oxidative stress, reducing the risk of vascular blockage, inhibiting inflammation as well as regulating lipid metabolism. We also summarize the pharmacological activity of bioactive components in Salvia miltiorrhiza and the delivery systems. We made the conclusion that Salvia miltiorrhiza can be used as a potential auxiliary drug for treatment of diabetic angiopathy.